Thursday, September 15, 2011

The World Cheese Dip Championship is just a week and a half away… and the part that surprises me about that is that there are just 20 confirmed participants heading to War Memorial Stadium that day to participate in the big rally to see who has the best cheese dip you can find anywhere.

Of the folks who have put their name on the line, there are folks not just from Arkansas but from Vermont and Texas as well. There’s even a team from New York City — from Yahoo.com, of all places! — who want to show us up. We just can’t have that happen.

I was talking with John McClure, one of the organizers of the big cheesy celebration going down a week from Saturday. He mentioned to me that this year’s professional winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to New Orleans next March for the Roadfood Festival. That winner will be representing Arkansas with cheese dip at the very exclusive festival. McClure told me the WCDC was able to offer such a cool prize because of the benevolence of Dottie Belletto of the New Orleans Convention Company, Inc… who’s footing the bill for the cheese dip winner. That’s a pretty substantial thing, considering the $1000 booth rental space, $200 for electricity and of course room, board and such for the folks who’ll be representing the state.

That, of course, is in addition to the awesome custom ceramic platter and bowl and check for $1000 that the professional winner receives, of course. Amateurs are still also welcome to sign up, with a great prize of a trip for four to the November 5th Razorback game in Fayetteville included in the big prize on that level.

So, here’s your chance. The deadline for entrants for this year’s World Cheese Dip Championship has been extended to next Wednesday. For more information, head to the website.

A look at Fourquarter Bar in Argenta, brought to you by the folks behind Midtown Billiards. Beer, barbecue and killer cocktails abound!

Federal Judge P.K. Holmes of Fort Smith issued a 32-page ruling yesterday indicating he contemplates punishment of 16 lawyers who moved a class action lawsuit against an insurance company out of his court to a state court in Polk County after a settlement had been worked out.